The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has confirmed 2008 Beijing Olympic bronze medalist, Chika Chukwumerije, and two other Nigerians for the African Olympics Qualifiers holding this month in Cairo, Egypt.
The Egypt qualifiers is the final opportunity for athletes in the continent hoping to be part of the London 2012 Olympics with the finalists in each weight category automatically making it to London.
Aside Chukwuemrije, who is ranked 29 in the world in the heavyweight plus 80kg category, Beijing Olympics quarter finalist, Issa Muhammad Adam who won bronze at the 2011 All Africa Games will also be competing in the men’s -68kg category while Joy Ekhator who will be jostling for a place in London 2012 in the minus 49kg is the only female athlete representing Nigeria at the qualifiers.
In Chukwumerije weight category, eight athletes including Chukwuemrije’s conqueror at the 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique, Cote d’Ivoire’s Zokou Saint Nom Firmin.
Also in the heavyweight cadre is former World champion, Mali’s Keita Daba Modibo.
On his part, Adam has other 18 athletes compete with while Ekhator will compete alongside nine others.
A confident national coach, Osita Egwim told journalists yesterday that the country has the chance to book places in London considering the quality of athletes representing Nigeria in Egypt.
“I think we have 100 per cent chance of having our athletes in London at the Egypt qualifiers. I believe with the kind of training they must have been exposed to in Korea, they can take on any athlete in Egypt. They just need to win between three to four fights and they are sure of making it to London,” Egwim said.
Egwim, who guarded the team to second place in the taekwondo event of the 2011 All Africa Games, however, admitted that the athletes need to be on their best against athletes from Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Tunisia and Morocco who are among the best in the continent.
For the past six weeks, the team has been honing their skills for the Egypt qualifiers in Korea under the watchful eyes of the new Korea coach engaged by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF).
Before the team’s departure to Korea last month, an optimistic Secretary of NTF, Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare said that the team is poised to pick the three slots in Egypt, adding that the training in Korea became necessary to ensure that the team prepares well for the qualifiers on January 11 and 12.
Ezeala-Ogundare expressed confident on the team, saying: “I believe we can build on our performance in Maputo to clinch the four slots because the athletes are capable and with the training in Korea they well surely do the country proud in Egypt.”
Aside the National Sports Commission (NSC) supporting the team, the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation assisted the team in the branding and promotion of the contingent for the Korea tour.
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